The swedish coverart

[ROB_88]

to begin with, i have heard multiple times that most people don't like the original cover art.

i've always thought that the swedish versions look alot better. maybe i'm biased.

 

but now that i'm re-reading them, i've started to try to analyse the covers as well as the titles and see what it really is. some are easy to see, others not so much.

so if anyone cares i'd like to share them whit you to analyse them together.

 

as said in previous topics all books except for New Spring are divided in to two books.

 

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The Eye of The World part 1: Farornas Väg

the title roughly translates to something like "The path of danger." i don't know if it means anything, maybe just that they walk on a dangerous path

 

the coverart looks like it was almost copyed from the original except there is a different angle, the size of Lan and Moiraine and i believe the face could be a Myrdraal or maybe Ba'alzamon

 

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The Eye of The World part 2: Tidens Hjul

the title just translates to "The Wheel of Time" probably simply cause they changed the name of the series as a whole to something completely different and they wanted the original title somewhere

 

at first i thought the coverart was a picture of Perrin cause of the axe, but then i realised that it's not the shape of his axe and he doesn't wear armor, maybe a Whitecloak. I have no idea who or what that could be and that's basically the reason i started this topic.

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i'll be more than happy to continue this topic later if anybody else cares, i somehow doubt it though

[Tyrell]

What did they change the name of the series to?

[hapazard]

"Sagan om Drakens återkomst"

 

might translate to: The saga (tale) of the return of the dragon.

 

[ROB_88]

i knew noone would care.

well, except those 2

[Thor]

That is quite horrible tbh, I would be rolling around in agony if I was RJ (no disrespect here).

[MsDanya]

I actually liked that coverart!

 

And swedes always put silly names on their books  ;D ;D ;D

[Majsju]

Most of the Swedish covers are way superior to the US versions, although there are a few exceptions. But then, there are only one or two US cover that is not absolutely awful.

 

But I still prefer the UK covers. Clean, without silly illustrations.

[hapazard]

Here anyone interested can find all the swedish book covers http://www.fantasybok.se/-c-34_85_112_113.html

 

Looking at them they do seem rather garish, although the same might be said about the American. The style seems to have changed somewhere halfway through, understandable with the sheer number of them (Every English book split into at least two Swedish....)

[Hybrid]

But I still prefer the UK covers. Clean, without silly illustrations.

I agree.  The UK covers are very dignified.  They give WOT a much better appearance as serious literature.

[Manuliino]

Hah, people think the original covers are horrible, but the covers we have in finland are a total rape for a great series! >:( Some of 25 books (yes, translated in 2-3 parts...) have the us cover but rest... even thinking causes pain... They have done few with computer! :'(

 

 

at first i thought the coverart was a picture of Perrin cause of the axe, but then i realised that it's not the shape of his axe and he doesn't wear armor, maybe a Whitecloak. I have no idea who or what that could be and that's basically the reason i started this topic.

 

I really like those two. I don't think it is a Whitecloak. May it be some anonymous borderlander fighting at the blight? Maybe shienarean (is it written like that?)? Or the men from Shienar fighting at that place... wasn't it Tarwin-something? Where they fought in the end of EotW? It would be kind of symbolic because that kind of like was first time Rand "really" wielding one power?

The UK covers are very dignified.  They give WOT a much better appearance as serious literature.

I like them too. The only way getting WOT is these days in finland from library or as British paperbacks. some of the later parts are found in finnish, as pocketbooks. But only few...

Don't you slaughter me if something was said wrong. English isn't my mature language.... :P

 

 

[Jellybelly]

What I cannot understand is the Swedish compulsion to change every title they come into contact with. For some reason they do not think the original titles are good enough, and always change it into "the tale of X". "The Wheel of Time" being changed into "The Tale of the Dragon's Return" is a case in point. They even saw the need to change "The Fellowship of the Ring" into "The Tale of the Fellowship of the Ring". That is just stupid. Some of these Swedish titles make my skin crawl. Apparently, the last part of "Knife of Dreams" is called "The Trap". Yuck. What sort of imbecile makes these decisions?

[ROB_88]

okey, i intend to put up all of the covers as time goes along and now that we got some responses

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The Great Hunt Part 1: Valeres Horn

The title is literaly just "The Horn of Valere" since the whole of that book is about the horn.

 

i really don't like this cover, it is one of the ugliest.

i'm guessing it's Rand with the sword and the Horn behind him on the left.

then we have what looks like Ba'alzamon and his burned skin.

on the right is what looks like a horse with the Dragon-banner and Egwene with her balls of light.

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The Great Hunt part 2: Tomans Huvud

the title is just "Toman Head." no need to explain why

 

the cover looks like Rand and Ba'alzamon in the fight at the end, and some army, probably the heros of the Horn in the back.

[vasu619]

Meh.. I don't mind the cover arts, but renaming all the books wasn't nice...

 

And they got Rand ALL wrong for the second book. He's just out of his teens for Pete's sake!

[triadruid]

Wow, those covers make me wistful for Darrell Sweet....  ::)

[Mr Ares]

And swedes always put silly names on their books  ;D ;D ;D

And usernames...

 

Most of the Swedish covers are way superior to the US versions, although there are a few exceptions. But then, there are only one or two US cover that is not absolutely awful.

Damning with faint praise, that.

 

What I cannot understand is the Swedish compulsion to change every title they come into contact with. For some reason they do not think the original titles are good enough, and always change it into "the tale of X". "The Wheel of Time" being changed into "The Tale of the Dragon's Return" is a case in point. They even saw the need to change "The Fellowship of the Ring" into "The Tale of the Fellowship of the Ring".

You can't get taken seriously in Scandinavia unless you're writing a saga, perhaps?

[MsDanya]

You can be taken serious in Scandinavia?

[Mr Ares]

You can be taken seriously in Scandinavia?

Possibly. But only by Scandinavians.

[ROB_88]

time for the next ones.

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The Dragon Reborn part 1: Drakens Flykt

the title means "The dragons escape" that's almost like the original

 

in the pic we have Mat, Hurin and the girls on theyre way to Tar Valon.

 

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The Dragon Reborn part 2: Tears Klippa

the title means "Stone of Tear"

 

i really like this one, it's not my favorite but quite good.

here we have Rand with Callandor, and the Stone of Tear in the background.

i guess the wolf represents Perrin, and the bird would be Faile, although i don't see why. she's not really important yet

[Mercer]

Honestly, no offense to those who dig them, but I think those are the most cheesy, horrendous, ugly, flashback-to-the-80's covers possible. That one with Tar Valon isn't so bad, but for the most part...yeesh, this isn't bargain-bin sci-fi.

 

I don't know what the problem is with the regular covers...they're classic, clean and without giant glowing neon colours pasted across the front, trying to draw the eye of every 8 year old in sight. I mean, sure, a few of them picture things which aren't important or really make no sense concerning the plot, but mostly (Excepting Lord of Chaos, which is ridiculously cheesy) they are great. Especially The Path of Daggers. They depict one scene apiece...not cutting and pasting characters and heads and all sorts like a movie poster. Just my 2 cents.

[Mr Ares]

yeesh, this isn't bargain-bin sci-fi.

Nor are those covers. For them to really be bargain bin sci-fi, at least one of them would need gratuitous female nudity on it. If the next cover ROB_88 posts has Moiraine's bared breasts on it, I'll concede the point.

[vasu619]

yeesh, this isn't bargain-bin sci-fi.

Nor are those covers. For them to really be bargain bin sci-fi, at least one of them would need gratuitous female nudity on it. If the next cover ROB_88 posts has Moiraine's bared breasts on it, I'll concede the point.

 

Aviendha pls :P:P:P:P:P:P

[ROB_88]

nope, there's none of that unfortunately.

the next 2 are actually terrible but after that i think it's gets alittle better

[ROB_88]

I would have just edited my last post but i realised that noone would notice it then so here are the next pair

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The Shadow Rising Part 1: Skuggan Växer

 

the title could actually be translated to "The Shadow Rising"

but if you are very literal it would be more like "The Shadow Grows," I don't know if that is the same thing.

and after this point almost half the books are actually named after the original titles :)

 

this cover looks just awful. it looks like a ship, maybe Seanchan. but i have no idea what the face is doing there. just terrible.

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The Shadow Rising part 2: Tornets Fall

the title means "The Towers Fall" or "Fall of The Tower"

the only thing this title can reference that i can think of would be the Elaida/ Siuan rabble.

 

It's been a long time since i read this but i remember the battle with Asmodean starting with Skimming through the use of stairs by Rand and a platform by Asmo, even though his face looks almost like a skull.

[Mr Ares]

 

this cover looks just awful. it looks like a ship, maybe Seanchan. but i have no idea what the face is doing there. just terrible.

Seanchan ships have ribbed sails, this doesn't appear to. Also, the banner looks like a Sea Folk banner (at least, it's the Sea Folk chapter icon). I would guess the ship that took the Wondergirls to Tanchico.

[ROB_88]

time for the next one

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The Fires of Heaven part 1: Klanernas uppbrott

i've never been sure what to make of the title, but it means "The clans breaking-up"

i see 2 or 3 possible ways to look at that.

either as the Aiel break camp and march to the Wetlands.

or they break connections with each other, on second thought they don't do that really.

maybe it has to do with what happens when Rand tell them the big secret

 

on the cover we see a whole bunch of Aiel on the march, so that supports the break camp theory for the title. the spear of the closest Aiel look a little off though.

i'm guessing the figure in the sky would be Rand

 

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The Fires of Heaven part 2: Stormen Vaknar

the title means "The Storm Wakens"

i have no idea what it could refer to though.

 

it was a long time since i read this but if i remember it right it is at the battle with Shaido at Cairhein, with Rands lookout tower. did he have a real sword at that time?

why must they always give Rand dark hair?!